


Book 1: Earth

by fingersfallingupwards



Series: Avatar Disney Fusions [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Disney - All Media Types, Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fusion, They're both kinda messed up, airbender!Rapunzel, but so cute, disney kinkmeme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 21:38:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7405792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fingersfallingupwards/pseuds/fingersfallingupwards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flynn regrets having a conscience most days of the week. The addition of a blonde airbender to his days only emphasizes the fact.</p><p>Part two in a series of Disney/Avatar fusions where our heros or heroines/princesses are all incarnations of the Avatar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Book 1: Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Un-edited, so lots of errors. Part one of two.

Avatar Flynn Rider keeps a careful watch over his shoulder as he changes from the ridiculous Air Nomad clothing back into his subtle, civilian Earth Kingdom clothes. The orange and yellow clothing favored by the Air Nomads is enough for anyone to want to abandon this place, even if they haven’t been taken here (unwillingly) to complete their Avatar training (unwillingly) in order to (unwillingly) serve as a liaison between the nations and (unwillingly) bring peace to everyone but himself.

Yeah, no. Flynn wants nothing to do with any of that.

Though this isn’t the first time he’s plotted his escape, nor his first attempt, he’s pretty optimistic on his chances. Flynn is betting on his watchers, the Stabbington brothers, assuming that no one in their right mind would attempt to rappel down a mountain at night. Flynn has been careful to keep secret how completely out of his right mind he is. If they knew, they’d keep him in chains at night.

As it is, he slinks around the corridors, using his earthbending as a motion detector the best he can. The fact he’s already not excellent at this technique is made only more frustrating by the feather-light steps of the Air Nomads.

By the grace of the spirits, Flynn makes it to the edge of the central mountain of the three peaks undetected. He’s just finished attaching a line for the cord to lower himself down, when a voice nearly startles him off the cliff.

“What’re you doing?”

Flynn slips and would’ve slid down the mountain if a gush of air wasn’t cushioning him, letting him dig a hand in the mountain and make a platform for himself. He looks up to see his savior, only to find a wide-eyed, sheepish airbender with the most ridiculous long blonde hair he’s ever seen on anyone.

Flynn says the first and only thing that comes to mind.

“I thought the monks were supposed to shave their heads.”

“It isn’t mandatory,” Blondie replies. She frowns at him as he pulls himself back on the edge and readjusts his knots. “What are you doing out here?”

“Taking in the sights, trying to be more spiritual. Tui is especially bright and as the Avatar I feel her spirituality very keenly at night,” Flynn quickly spouts, ignoring that the moon is in its slimmest crescent phase.

He needn’t have bothered.

“You’re the Avatar?!” Blondie gushes.

Flynn runs a hand through his hair with a smug grin.

“Hi. Avatar Flynn at your service.” He tilts his head dramatically. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d really like to get back to my spiritual meditation.”

Blondie is halfway to nodding when a strange growling sound stops her. Flynn blinks as a flying lemur settles on her shoulders, making a racket of noise.

“Hey, hey, shut that thing up!” Flynn hisses. He can’t help but look back the way he came, expecting to see someone coming to investigate the noise.

Blondie is looking at him now with significantly less awe, and significantly more distrust. Flynn moans inwardly.

“What are you really doing out here?” she asks, wary.

“I told you, taking in the spiritual sights and smells. Now, if you don’t mind, you and your winged rabbit-dog are interrupting my Avatar-ly duties.”

She gestures to the flying lemur. “Pascal thinks you’re lying.”

“Pascal is an animal!” Flynn says, breaking character at last. He rubs his forehead. “Look, Blondie—“

“Rapunzel.”

“Gesundheit. This isn’t any of your business. I say that you turn around and forget you saw me and we can part ways as unlikely friends.”

“I can’t do that. And I don’t know that I believe you are who you say you are, either,” Blondie says, mustering herself up in a vague fighting stance that Flynn could probably dismantle because of how shaky she looks. But fighting would only drag this out and make more noise, so Flynn improvises.

“Alright, you caught me, Blondie.”

“Rapunzel.”

“Is this a verbal tic?” he asks. “No, let’s stay on track. I didn’t want to have to bring you in on this, but I am on a special Avatar-mission to gather information on the Earth Kingdom cities below. As for me being the Avatar…”

Flynn summons a small bit of fire in his left hand and a bit of ice in his right. The two elements circle in his hands against the backdrop of his Earth Kingdom clothes.

At first, she’s obviously amazed. Her hand reaches forward a millimeter before she stops herself.

Blondie furrows her brow, and the monkey lemur makes a small, uncertain chittering sound.

“Why are you sneaking away at night?” she asks.

“It’s a secret mission, something given to me by the High Council.” There’s no such thing as a High Council, but that’s not the point. “They also want to see if I can do this covertly, you see. And you’re just about to ruin it, so….”

She pauses again, looking at the flying lemur for advice, but the animal shakes its head. Flynn slaps on a serious expression to hide his grin; he can taste the imminent victory.

“Alright,” Blondie eventually says.

Flynn just barely resists a fist pump. The urge promptly dies when she continues.

“But I’m coming with you,” she asserts. The flying lemur is back to making a racket.

“What? Look, I don’t know what part of Avatar-mission isn’t sticking, but it’s a mission for the Avatar, which is me, not you. You are a lady-monk, or whatever. Point is, you can’t come with. Besides, won’t people miss you?” Flynn asks. Her body language immediately draws in on itself. He pushes the advantage. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, it might be months,” he says. (Forever is the implication only he can hear.)

Blondie bites her lip. “Then I had better go.”

“Exactly.” Flynn makes a shooing gesture.

“I mean go _with you_ ,” she clarifies, really ruining Flynn’s night.

“What? No!”

“But if you’re gone a long time, you need someone to teach you airbending! I could be your sifu!” Her eyes are bright and Flynn wants to slap his forehead.

The retort stops when someone calls out,

“Who’s there?”

A small glow of an approaching lantern punctuates the awfulness of everything going on with Flynn’s escape.

Flynn freezes and immediately makes a rock to hide behind.

“Okay, Blondie—“

“Rapunzel.”

“What _ever!_ ” he hisses. “Just get them away and I’ll let you come with me, okay?”

Not his best pitch, but she nods and then moves out of his line of sight. He flattens himself against the rock and pays close attention to the ensuing conversation.

“Oh, Rapunzel. Why am I not surprised to find you out here again? Visiting the animals again?”

Blondie gives a nervous sort of giggle.

“Well, you know me. I do love animals.”

“You’re of a similar mind to them, I think, dear. Simple things like simple things.”

Flynn winces at that. Wow, what a piece of work. He shifts to the farthest side to see who he’s against (because Flynn isn’t that against putting two women in a rock cage til morning at this point in his night).

He spies a greying woman, whose interpretation of the robes is more than unique, with how much flesh it reveals. It’s Gothel. Well, Master Gothel, really. One of the strongest benders in the temple, so Flynn is just going to wait back here until Blondie sends the master away.

“I just wanted to make sure there was enough food for them…” Blondie says.

“Well, when you feel up to being like a human being, come back inside. And not a minute sooner.” The older woman doesn’t laugh so much as cackle. “Though really, do be on your best behavior. The Avatar is visiting and the last thing we want is to give him a bad impression.”

“Of course, Master.”

“So what will you be doing while he’s here?” Master Gothel asks.

“I’ll stay out of sight.”

“Good.” Flynn watches as Master Gothel pats Blondie’s cheek. “Now turn in soon, darling.”

There’s an awkward silence after the footsteps of Master Gothel have disappeared. Flynn, never one for things awkward or silent, clears his throat.

“Well. She sounds like an interesting master,” he says, stepping away from his rock.

“Yeah…” Blondie says, eyes dim and cast aside.

“We’re not getting any younger, what say you and I get the hell off this mountain?” He exhales when he sees her eyes gain life again. “You don’t happen to know how to get down without a rope, do you?”

And now her eyes are shining. Too brightly.

“Why are you so excited?” Flynn asks.

 

+

 

Maximus, or ‘Max’ as Blondie refers to him as, is the strangest sky bison Flynn has ever had the displeasure to meet. Now, being born in the Earth Kingdom, Flynn is not an expert on sky bison, but he does know that they don’t have eyebrows, nor strangely horse-like tails. If he had any doubts as to his own understandings, they’d be assuaged by the fact that he has plenty of points for comparison when he looks to see the dozen other normal sky bison in the small meadow. Blondie seems not to be aware of the differences. Then again, Flynn doesn’t have her pinned as the most perceptive person he’s met.

He stands with his arms crossed, expression indifferent.

It’s the best he can do as Blondie introduces him to Max, like the sky bison is a person. Flynn probably shouldn’t be surprised considering how she treats her flying lemur.

Flynn half-asses his own introduction and receives a raised eyebrow from the sky bison. On one hand, he’s miffed about the lackluster reaction to his Avatar status, but on the other hand, seriously, what is with those eyebrows?!

“Please, will you take us down to the world below?” Blondie asks with all the earnestness in the world. “Flynn has this super special mission he has to do for the High Council.”

Max makes a sound which Blondie seems to be able to translate because she amps up her winning smile to platinum.

“Pl _ease?_ ” she begs. “It’s really important to me. I’ll be able to go down to the world below and teach Avatar Flynn airbending! It’s the best opportunity I’ve had in… well…”

Max sighs before giving a nod and lowering his head. Flynn watches, speechless from the events that have just occurred.

“Come on!” Blondie says, face alight with utter excitement. She proceeds to scramble atop the gigantic sky bison with stupid ease. Flynn is much less elegant, and he’s pretty sure Max has been shifting and sneezing on purpose to make his trip harder. Whatever the case, Flynn does make it up and into the saddle intact. Pascal flies up into the saddle beside him while Blondie resituates herself on Max’s head.

“Let’s go! Yip-yip!”

Flynn barely muffles a shriek as Max shoots straight up into the air before spiraling downward, past the clouds and towards the earth below.

Maybe it didn’t happen in the best way possible, but Flynn is beyond glad to be leaving his keepers and his Avatar duties behind him. Now he just has to keep out of their clutches.

 

+

 

The sun is just rising as they reach the surface of the earth. Blondie has been oohing and ahhing for the past few minutes, so Flynn takes the initiative and draws up the reigns to settle Max at the edge of a small village. While not where Flynn wants to stay, he does hope to acquire some capital to fuel their trip.

During their flight, Flynn thought long and hard about whether he ought to try and ditch Blondie. To say she draws attention with her bright air temple clothes and mile-long hair would be an understatement. If that isn’t enough to draw every eye in the crowd, then her endless questions surely will. Flynn has known her less than a day and already he knows that this is natural to her.

If he was smart, he’d leave her at a nice village and be on his way, but he isn’t smart, and seeing her bright eyes he can’t bring himself to abandon her here. At least not yet. Maybe when she gets her sea legs, he’ll let her go. For now, there isn’t much he can do. Flynn regrets having a conscience most days of the week.

Max alights on a small cropping of rocks a little away from the village he directed them to. Blondie dismounts with a gust of air. When her feet hit the dirt and grass, she opens her mouth in awe.

“It’s just so gorgeous, don’t you think, Flynn?” Blondie asks. She lays on the grass and rolls onto her stomach, staring at it intently.

“Immaculate, Blondie,” he drawls as he gets off like a normal person. “Good old dirt. A real treat on our tour of the Earth Kingdom.”

“Well, I’ve never seen any of this.”

Flynn pauses. “You just mean you’ve never been to the Earth Kingdom, right?”

Blondie shakes her head and ducks beneath his gaze, preferring to stare at the grass again.

“You’ve never left the temple?”

Blondie sighs. “We only leave the temple if our master thinks we’re ready. I’m not the greatest in the world, and Master Gothel… Well, she worries about me.”

Flynn doesn’t find that to really be about care and concern. Spending two minutes in the stern master’s presence told him enough about her version of kindness.

Blondie continues. “I’m not the only one not to leave… Although most people do get to depart on a small trip with their masters when they move onto the next level of mastery. I’m probably the oldest to never leave the temple, but I was on my way, I think.”

No wonder Blondie’s so desperate to leave the temple. She’s been kept up there all her life. That can’t be healthy.

“Well, you’re out now. You can prove you’re ready to face whatever’s out there.” Upon seeing the eager look on her face, he quickly adds, “So long as you follow my directions. Carefully.”

Blondie nods, determined look on her face. She stands, and shakes her hair with airbending to remove the grass and knots. Huh. He was wondering how she kept it so neat.

“Alright, first off, the flying-dog isn’t coming.”

“But—“

Flynn makes a short sound of irritation and stares at Blondie until she shrugs reluctantly and Pascal flies to Max.

“Right, so when we go into the village, you can’t wander off. Try not to look like such a tourist, and keep quiet about who we are.” He scans her clothes. “We can also see about finding you something to blend in better.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asks.

“You’ll see.”

They enter the small village and every eye turns towards them. While Flynn’s vest and pants blend in perfectly, the orange pants and yellow mantle Blondie sports, definitely does not. Not that she seems to care or notice. She’s looking at the cluster of houses, no more than fifty or sixty, many of which have farms situated nearby.

She’s gaping at every shop and house in sight.

Flynn normally abhors additional attention (when he isn’t purposefully and strategically seeking it), but Blondie is the best distraction anyone could ask for when pick-pocketing. He gets to work on the wealthier looking townsfolk. As Blondie squeals giddily at the carriages drawn by an irate mongoose dragon, Flynn deftly cuts a medium sized purse from a gaping viewer. Putting it in his satchel quickly, he figures they have enough for right now.

“Come on, Blondie, let’s get you something else to wear.” And away from the mongoose dragon that looks one more shriek away from biting her.

“But I don’t need new clothes,” she says, eyes still roving everything else as he totes her towards the tailor.

“Your clothes right now are… fine. Let’s just try to make sure you can blend in a little, yeah? You can pick it out yourself. Any design you want.”

“I get to pick?” Rapunzel all but whispers. Her eyes are trained fully on Flynn, and wow, her gaze is intense.

Flynn shrugs. After how much money he just nabbed while people were ogling her, he thinks he owes her this indulgence. And seeing how just the thought of it lights up her face… she’s been sheltered for too long if this makes her that happy. A small, very tiny part of him acknowledges that he still can empathize.

Blondie leads the way now, tugging his sleeve to pull him along too. She all but charges into the tailors, dragging Flynn behind her. Despite the fact their inventory is somewhat plain with few color choices, Blondie isn’t dismayed. Her smile is even brighter as she looks at the cloth. Flynn leans up against the wall as she oohs and ahs.

An elderly shop worker hesitantly moves closer to Blondie.

“Can I help you find something?”

“Do you make these?!” Blondie asks.

The seamstress nods.

“They’re _amazing!_ ” she replies, expression earnest.

Flynn can sense the seamstress’ eyes taking apart every detail of Blondie, from her hair to her clothes to her bright eyes and reaching the same, strange conclusion Flynn reached some hours ago— she isn’t faking. Blondie means what she says with a level of sincerity that’s startling to everyone who wasn’t raised in a monastery on the mountains.

“I’m very glad you like them,” she says eventually. “What is it that you’re looking for today?”

“I— don’t really know. Flynn says I need different clothes to blend in better. I don’t really know what that means.” She starts fiddling with a piece of hair close to her face. “He said I can pick whatever I want. There are a lot of options. I didn’t know there were so many options.”

Unlike before, her eyes now rove the clothes on display with bewilderment, and Flynn can tell she’s getting overwhelmed.

Flynn speaks up. “It’s just the color that needs to be altered, I think. Something that doesn’t stand out so much. You can pick any style you want, okay? Pick something comfortable that you like.”

The seamstress looks between the two of them before she nods to herself.

“If you are uncertain, then there’s only one thing for it— we’ll have to make you your own dress.”

Blondie’s mouth falls open, but Flynn frowns.

“We don’t really have the money for a custom job.”

He can always get whatever he wants by dropping his Avatar status, but that would negate the reason he left the temple to begin with.

“If you pay for the cloth, I won’t charge you for the work,” the seamstress replies before looking to Blondie. “So long as you help me make it, dear. Shouldn’t take more than a day with how slow it’s been around here.”

Now Flynn’s mouth falls open.

“That’s—“

“Thank you!” Blondie says. “I’d love to help. Just tell me what to do!”

The seamstress chuckles. “Well, first we need your measurements. Then we can pick the cloth, and I’ll show you how to cut the shape.”

“Okay, let me just get my clothes off.” Blondie grabs the hem of her shirt.

“Let’s do this in the back.” The seamstress guides her towards a curtained off room. The older lady casts a look over her shoulder before she completely enters. “If you’ll give us a little time.”

“I’ll just get the rest of our supplies.” Flynn quickly ducks out of the main door, face feeling a little hot.

 

+

 

Flynn spends most of the afternoon getting the rest of their supplies: another sleeping bag, flint (for Blondie), dried meat, nuts, another water flask, and (on an impulse), a small sewing kit. He has a feeling Blondie will want to take care of her clothes, and with all the jumping, running, and gleeful exploration she’s doing, she’ll need it.

He checks in on Blondie and the seamstress— Minh, a couple times throughout the day. He brings Blondie a small sample of the local fruit and watches as she runs her hands over the fabrics, chattering with delight. When she sees Flynn, her glee only increases, and she pulls him forward, eagerly explaining everything Minh has taught her in the last couple hours about different kinds of fabric and how to care for them. Flynn finds himself smiling until Minh gives him a wink. He all but shoves the fruit into Blondie’s hands before making some excuse and leaving again.

He then returns to Max and loads their supplies onto the Sky Bison. While staying here for the night would be good, he knows better that to sleep in the first place they visit. It’ll be a long night in the woods, but if that’s what it takes to keep his freedom…

Flynn returns to the town a few hours before sundown. Thinking about his situation has soured his mood some, so when he gets back to Minh’s shop, he’s impatient more than anything.

“I don’t mean to rush you, but we’re kind of on a schedule,” he calls to the back room.

“Wait a bit more. We’re almost there!” Minh calls back.

Flynn frowns. If they get caught, then getting Blondie these clothes will be moot to the point anyways. Flynn has a feeling she won’t be allowed to keep the clothes if Master Gothel finds out about this.

Maybe he should have just risked rappelling down the mountain…

“Done!” Blonedie rushes out of the back, and the small air current she stirs up from her hasty actions, makes the clothing by her rustle and her hair float up and it’s beautiful.

Flynn stares. She’s wearing a simple dress, with lacing up the front not dissimilar to parts of his vest. It flows with the air she’s stirred about and matches the way she moves and exists in a way that Flynn can’t understand. He’s a little stunned, and what he ends up saying is,

“It’s pink.”

Blondie shakes her head. “No, it’s pink _and_ purple.”

“Yeah,” he states. Her lips purse.

There’s a pause.

“Dear, why don’t you collect the rest of the scraps I said you could take,” Minh says, coming out from the back.

Blondie nods her head and ducks into the other room as Minh approaches Flynn. He gets his money pouch out, unable to keep his displeasure off his face.

“The only thing I said was that it had to blend in,” he mutters so Blondie can’t hear.

Minh raises an eyebrow. “With that hair, there’s no way you’ll be able to live in total anonymity from whoever it is you’re running from, regardless if she’s wearing green or pink and purple.”

Flynn swallows hard at her astute observation. His feet slowly slide into a bending stance in case they need to leave because he is _not_ going back there, and if she—

“We had a bit of extra time so I made her a travelling cloak. It’s a very muted, dark green color. That should do it for any delicate situations.” Minh presses the cloth into Flynn’s hands and he’s startled by the kindness in her eyes.

He sort of forgot about people like this somewhere along the line of being the Avatar. Mingling with only the elites and those chosen to be his company made him forget about these simple and incredible acts.

“Thank you,” he says.

“You’re welcome.” Minh smiles. He offers her six silver coins. She takes three and gives the rest back.

“I only did half the work.” She smiles as Blondie enters the room. “If you ever can, come visit me again. This has been a nice day for an elderly woman like myself, and I can always do with extra help.”

Flynn only nods. He steps back as Blondie begins doing her goodbyes with more emotion and smiles all around.

If they do get the freedom he wants, if they don’t have to keep moving until his keepers give up on him, if they live in a world that allows that…

Flynn watches Blondie embrace Minh tightly.

He wants to return to this same place and same moment but have it be a hello instead of a goodbye.

 

+

 

“Flynn?” Blondie asks as they walk back up to Max. Flynn wants to go to a different forest before they turn in for the night.

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about the dress? Besides that it’s pink, I mean.”

Flynn would almost think she’s fishing for compliments, if it weren’t for the entirely self-conscious look on her face and the hand worrying the hair near her face.

Flynn softens and looks at her again.

“You look amazing, Blondie.”

Her face pinks and she grins a little before correcting him.

“My name is Rapunzel.”

Flynn pauses and gives her a smile. “Okay, Rapunzel.”

Rapunzel smiles.

 

+

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a note if you like.


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